This blog began as a description of our life in Al Ain, UAE (United Arab Emirates). Brn worked at the UAE University Libraries Deanship for three years and Bss homeschooled our four children, D, B, P, and O. After returning to the the USA for five years, we are living in Abu Dhabi now.

2005/07/09

No OSHA

The road signs are connected a little differently here in Al Ain. First they mount a bracket into the ground and then bolt the sign to that.

I'm guess that they do this to allow rapid sign replacement and so that the ground anchor doesn't get damaged if someone runs over the sign with a car. However, if the sign is removed, then you end up with this:

I tripped over one of these and nearly fell when I wasn't paying attention while walking one day.

And if you need more proof that there is no OSHA, check this out:

That is a lamp post's wires open to anyone who wants to put their fingers on them.

(If you don't know, OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration, a branch of the US federal government that goes around looking for things that people might possibly get hurt by. While they do a lot of good, they also have a tendency to drive people crazy.)

I can't remember seeing any of these in Dubai, but I wasn't really looking for them either. Maybe is is only an Al Ain measure. I'm sure that is makes replacing the signs much faster though. In America the whole post is buried and set in concrete, so if you have to replace the post, you have to dig the whole thing up and reset it.

I have a bad habit of not looking where I'm walking, so it isn't surprising that I would stumble on one of these.

the lamp post`s wires would be the job of al ain municipality ,it is normal here to give them a call and report it till they take care of it or anything that is dangerous for kids in your neighborhood , stray animals such as cats,dogs ,can be picked up by the concerned dept . within the municipality.